In the end, we only regret the chances we didn't take

I don't really know where to begin with this post, so I guess I'd better just start with the big news - I'm moving to Dublin!

So much is changing, and it's both scary and exciting! I'm moving to a new country for a new job, and I'll be moving in with my boyfriend for the first time after never living away from home - it's a massive change! But I've been craving a change for a long time now and, after being with my partner for 6+ years, the timing of it just really feels right.

After spending nearly 3 years away from fashion after graduating, I'll finally be working within the industry again - which I can't wait for! Everything about fashion excites me, so it feels like the missing piece of the puzzle to go back into it again.

What's more is, since my partner moved to Dublin in January, I've got to see what the city is like, and I've yet to find anything about it that I dislike about it! It's such a friendly and lively city, but at the same time it doesn't feel claustrophobic or over crowded. And, as you can see from my last post here, even though you're in a city it's still so easy to get back to nature. I really can't wait to move here.

I'm still in a state of both excitement and panic, with less than 2 weeks to go now before I move (I fly out on the 7th of May!) so bear with me! Initially I'll just be going over with hand luggage - crazy I know, especially as I'm the kind of person that will pack about 5 bags for a weekend away! But I've been doing as much as I can to clear through all of my belongings, and really be brutal at getting rid of things I don't need. And this way I make sure I only ever take with me what I need.

So now the countdown to this big new chapter in my life begins - 11 days to go! 

Carrie

Day Trip to Howth

At the start of the new year my partner relocated from England to Dublin for a new job. Since his relocation I've tried to visit as much as possible, and I set visit to Howth on my agenda after being hearing so many good things about the place. Luckily only 2 months into him living there we got to visit this lovely town, and I thought I'd share our trip with you.

Howth is a lovely sea-side town just off the city of Dublin. It has a lovely market place, a pier and is famous for it's seafood and cliff walks. I'm sure it has many other things to offer, but we made this an afternoon trip and only got to explore about half of the town.

The first place we headed to was the market, which is filled with unique pieces and friendly faces. There were items from jewellery, to natural handmade skincare, to unique nic-nacs.
Afterwards we took a stroll along the pier before heading to the cliffs.

We got a bit lost looking for the cliff walks (I don't know how, it's really not that hard to find!), but once we found our way the views were amazing. We lucked out on the weather too as it was so sunny with no wind (I probably wouldn't recommend doing the cliff walks on a windy day for obvious reasons!).

Apparently on some days you can spot Dolphins or Sea Lions. Sadly we didn't see any, but it was still a beautiful day out and I would recommend this to anyone. We only walked as far as the lighthouse, then returned to the pier through the main town. I would definitely go back in a heartbeat to do the full walk around the whole of the cliff walks (hopefully then we'll get to see some Dolphins or Sea Lions!)

There is supposed to be an amazing sea food restaurant in Howth - I can't remember it's name of it just now, but at the end of the day we actually ended up going to this lovely cafe instead called King Sitric, East Cafe Bar. We sat outside under the heaters and ate fish and chips whilst the sunset. Cheesy I know haha! But it really was the perfect day out. I'm glad so many people pushed us to go.

Have you been to Dublin or Howth before? Where is your favourite place to visit?

Carrie

What's in my Handbag? Work Edition

I've been meaning to post a 'what's in my handbag' post for a while as I always love these kinds of posts. Anything to do with storage/organising etc, I'm in there. (My boyfriends theory is that it's so I can find new ways to store more useless 'stuff'.. he's probably not wrong!) As the majority of my time nowadays is spent in the office, I thought I would do a work edition of 'what's in my handbag'. I love this bag from H&M, though annoyingly I couldn't find it on their website to link to it. It's very sleek and simple, so it's easy to accessorise with whatever I decide to wear to work.

So without further ado,  here are all the things I keep hidden away inside:

Handbag - H&M | Purse - Primark | Tweezers - Cancer Research | Diary - Tesco

Floral Notebook - Fat Face | Tiny Tea (see post here) | Jelly Belly Earphones - Boots

Stationary

I always carry my diary with me, as well as a small note book for writing down ideas for blog posts.  I think this diary is really cute, and it's dateless so you can start it whenever you like. It has both weekly and monthly pages, so It's really useful to keep track of things like blog posts, events etc at a glance, and it's nice and compact too. 

The notebook was only £2.50 from fat face, and I just labelled it using washi tape and my label maker. I definitely need this as my memory is awful sometimes!

Gadgets:

Like most people, I'd feel so lost if I didn't have my phone, and for now I have the iPhone 4S (how cute is my little box background?!) - but I will definitely be getting the Samsung S5 when my contract is up in June. I also carry my headphones with me too. I'm trying to learn a new language, and there are so many expensive programmes around - but there are some really great podcasts available for free that you should check out if you're looking to learn a new language too. I try to listen to them on my lunch breaks.

Beauty:

At work I tend to try and carry just a few essential beauty products with me as, whilst I do make an effort for work, I'm not too fussed about topping up throughout the day. I just bring concealer, powder, eyeliner,  mascara, eyebrow pencil and whatever lipstick I'm wearing that day. I only really use these if I have to give interviews and don't want to look like a complete mess! haha. I also bring a few bobby pins for hair emergencies, lip balm and hand sanitiser. There's also a small compact mirror I got for christmas, which has its own little pouch which I think is quite cute.

Misc:

And finally, the last few random bits - One bad habit I would love to kick is chewing gum. The reason being that they're so full of artificial crap, but I'm a little addicted and so always carry some with me. I also carry my purse (of course), hairbrush, and my Tiny Tea bags. 

You can't see it pictured, but I store all of this within my handbag organiser, which I got from eBay here (I would never find anything in this giant bag without it!).

I always try to carry light, but it never really ends up that way. This organiser helps to stop me trying to jam as much stuff into my bag as I usually do! (though sometimes it still happens)

What do you carry with you to work/every day? As much as this, or even more?

Carrie

Red.Soul - Dreams Are High

This post is a little different than usual, but it's one I wanted to share with you all. Like most people music does play a huge role in my life and I constantly surround myself with it. I'm lucky to come from a family who loves music just as much as I do (if not more), and that I got to grow up around such creative people. I remember when I was young, my cousins, sister and I would always hide away at family gatherings, singing to our favourite songs and dreaming of one day being a Spice Girl (ha! Don't pretend you didn't..).

I am so proud to see how far my cousin has come since then, and how hard she is working to pursue her dream. Her and her fellow band member have just released their first single, and I wanted to share it with you all because, although yes she is my cousin so I am going to be a bit biased, regardless of this I do see very bright things for hers and their future. Just watch the video below and see for yourselves!


As this is their first single, I thought it would be nice to get to know Red.Soul a bit more, and see what their new single means to them.

Who makes up Red.Soul?
Mike de Groot and Steph Fisher

Who/What influences you?
Mike: Mainly hip-hop producers like J Dilla, 9th wonder and Eric Lau, but also more downtempo stuff like Portishead and Massive Attack.
Steph: Vocally I take influences from all sorts of artists like Etta James, Amy Winehouse and Chris Cornell, but I listen to a really diverse range of stuff. The first vocalist I loved was Lauryn Hill though so I will always love her!

What is your musical style?
Mike: From a production perspective it's kind of like old soul and reggae samples cut up over slow hip-hop beats. I'm quite into lo-fi gritty sounding music too so I try to pull that into my sound when I can. Haha I don't really know how to say it I just wanna make stuff I like.
Steph: I think vocally I'm soulful and jazz, sort of like Amy Winehouse, but obviously not in the same league haha!

How did Red.Soul begin?
Steph: We worked together in a restaurant in brighton and I ended up helping Mike out with a separate project. We were both really happy with what we ended up doing and thought it might be nice to do something in the future.
Mike: My brother got me a job at a restaurant he used to manage and suggested I work with Steph on a project I was doing for my university course. I really liked her vocal style and thought it would be cool to do something together.

What was your inspiration behind 'dreams are high'?
Mike: To be honest for me initially it was totally the original, I heard it and felt like it was the perfect track to sample. I went through loads of different versions and had loads of ideas for it but didn't really feel like I was doing it justice (I barely do now).
Steph: Lyrically the track is broadly about our group of friends in Brighton and all the nights we have going out and usually drinking too much ha!

What are your plans for the future?
Steph: Just to finish and release our E.P and potentially in the future and album and gig lots!
Mike: Can't wait to get the EP released and see where else we can go with Red.Soul, we're working with a drummer at the moment for our live set which has been really fun.

What does your music reflect about you?
Steph: I just want our music to reflect our personalities and hopefully be music that people can relate to because we're just talking about normal every day things.
Mike: The music I listen to is a really big part of my life and I hope what we do can be as valid as that.

Watch the video for their first single below:

Artist: Red.Soul | Vocals: Stephanie Louise Fisher | Producer: Mike de Groot | Mastered by: PJ Bridger  

Video: Rachel Close

You can find their new single on songiest here.
Red.Soul's EP will be coming out later on in the spring, so make sure you are on the lookout for that! In the meantime be sure to follow them on Facebook and Twitter.

Tiny Tea: My First Impressions

More and more recently I've started to be much more aware of my diet, and the crap I put into my body. Too often I find myself low on energy, feeling sluggish and not being able to focus properly. Plus having food allergies, food has started to rule my life in a bad way.

So I've decided to actually take control of what goes into my body, and hopefully I will start noticing benefits from this.



I've found that Instagram is a great place to surround yourself with people sharing healthy food photos, as well as other health and fitness inspiration. It's actually through Instagram that I came across Tiny Tea by Your Tea (just search the hashtag tinytea and you'll see others results with this tea).

Your Tea do so many different types of teas to suit different needs. I decided to begin with the 28 day Teatox with their Tiny Tea and see how I get on with it, and it finally arrived on my doorstep yesterday!

What Tiny Tea claims to do:
*Nourish and Cleanse the digestive system
*Reduce Weight
*Ease Bloating
*Improve Skin Clarity
*Increase Energy Levels
*Alleviate issues associated with Food Intolerances

The main points that interested me were the cleansing, skin, energy and food intolerance benefits it boasts. Whilst I know it won't cure any allergies or intolerances, if it can have any kind of benefit towards it I'll be happy!

Drinking Instructions:
Your Tea give instructions to drink this tea 3 times a day, 30 minutes before each meal as it needs to be drunk on an empty stomach. They also say to steep the tea for 5-7 minutes before drinking.

Not being able to have dairy, I am used to having my tea black, and mostly drink tea without sugar anyway, but it does say you can add lemon or honey to it if you wish to. Seeing as I have to have this 3 times a day for 28 days I'm sure I'll be adding these to change it up a bit!

Ingredients:
Camellia Sinesis, Catsia, Lotus Leaf, Barley, White Tea, Prunella Spike, Adzuki Bean.
(This does contain gluten, however they also stock a gluten free version of this tea)

My First Impressions:
As this is my first day I can't give any feedback on any benefits, but I can at least give you an idea on taste.

There are so many different reviews out there, some saying they couldn't taste much flavour, others saying it's too overpowering and they couldn't drink it. Honestly I am someone that is easily put off by things if I don't like the taste, but I actually didn't mind it.

I said before Im used to black tea anyway, (to give you an idea I tend to drink Assam or Chai flavoured teas by Twinings) and I'd say it's very mild in comparison - and I did accidentally leave the first bag in too long! I honestly quite like the taste, and don't feel I have to add anything to it to change the flavour. It's not overpowering in the slightest, and Id say the majority of people out there will think it's fine, but obviously not everyones tastes are the same, so there are bound to be a few of you that don't like it.

One thing I will definitely struggle with is drinking this 30 minutes before breakfast. I'm so used to having breakfast as soon as I wake up, so remembering to have the tea first will take a bit of getting used to.

Overall my first impressions are good, and I'm looking forward to seeing how I get on with these teas!

You can choose either a 14 day Teatox, or 28 days. I'll recap how Im getting on in 14 days time, and then again at the end of the 28 days. The teas can be purchased here.

Has anyone else tried these teas, or are in the process of trying these?

Bedroom Inspiration

One of my new years resolution was to be a bit more organised with my room and try and get rid of some clutter. But I've decided thats not enough, so instead Im going to have a complete overhaul of my room!

My room worked well for me whilst I was at uni - I had all of my work, stationary and design supplies there, plus (obviously) my clothes, makeup etc. But its become so cluttered and so full of stuff that I don't really like to spend time in my room, and the way it is just encourages more clutter.

Now Im no longer at university I want a clean, pretty and spacious bedroom. I'm planning on redecorating it, getting rid of old furniture for new, and completely changing the layout.
The annoying thing is that I've realised at least 75% of the stuff in my room needs to go.

I thought I'd share some images that are inspiring the design for my new room:

I've already bought a double bed (finally! No more being cramped up in a single) and a few bits and bobs to go around my room. 

The only problem is I've realised for the double bed I obviously need a new mattress, duvet, covers etc!

Whilst Im in the process of changing everything around I'll be posting regular updates of things I find, and keep you updated on the progress.

In the meantime you can see more on my Pinterest board as I'm always updating it with images that inspire me.

If you have any links to bedroom inspiration, or similar posts you've written, I'd love to see!

Twitter | Bloglovin | Hello Cotton | Pinterest | Instagram

Fitness February

After dedicating January to getting organised, February is going to be the month where I'll be focussing on fitness and becoming more active.

After years of failing at keeping my resolutions, I've realised that changing everything all at once is just going to lead failure. This is why I've decided to focus on one thing per month, hopefully this will lead to things becoming a habit, not a chore.

I really do need to focus on fitness asap because I just eat rubbish all the time, and spend most of my day sat down. The only time I'm 'active' is walking to and from my car, and walking to and from town on my lunch break. Seriously pathetic, I know. I can feel myself slowly turning to jelly, it's not cool.

The trouble is, when I get back from work in the evenings, I know that as soon as my backside hits the sofa I'll be stuck there for the rest of the night. I have no willpower from that point to get up or do anything.

I need to be more proactive with my time and plan workout sessions. I do have exercise equipment at home, as well as workout dvd's. Plus Youtube has a tonne of fitness videos, so there's really no excuse for not doing anything.
So my goal for this month is to fit in one session of exercise a day - even just 15 minutes on my Yoga app will be better than being a couch potato!

By the way I really like this Yoga app. I have it on my Macbook, but you can also get it on the iPhone/iPad and the Android market too! I would definitely recommend downloading the free version and seeing how you get on with it.

Feel free to join me on my mission to get fit - It would be great to know Im not suffering alone have some moral support!
How are your resolutions going so far?

Twitter | Bloglovin | Hello Cotton | Pinterest | Instagram